Purity Unto Death (Calixis and Jericho Sector RP)

“Well most regiments don’t have stormtroopers being shot in the head for helping deserters steal food during a refugee crisis a scant few minutes after having a Commissar attached to them but I get your point.” Thinking back on the incident made Abel’s blood boil, even years later. Never before or since had she seen such willing incompetence and insubordination in the Imperial war machine. At least not done spontaneously like that particular occasion. She took a deep breath and pushed the memory into the back of her mind before it could frustrate her further.

She simply shrugged at Enyo’s mention of the Indomitus Crusade. “Well I knew some officers who had on my first Navy assignment, the Beast of Burden and my father, Emperor rest his soul, fought in the Plague Wars but me? I’d have to be almost twice my age to have even been old enough to serve, let alone even be born at the time. No, an eventful few days attached to the Guard and some more recent events aside my career has been rather mundane. Sorry to disappoint.” Abel briefly paused to look Enyo up and down and try and get a better read of the man, “What about you?”

Abel tried her best to look serious during the briefing but ultimately it had proven to be a futile effort. In the end she’d found herself unwillingly gawking like a fool at the Astartes present, staring in awe at the towering superhuman figures standing within spitting distance of her. Obviously the Commissar had heard of the Emperor’s mighty angels of death, even occasionally viewed blurry pict recordings, but never had she actually seen one of them, let alone been in the same room.

At the very least Abel was not completely oblivious to the actual words of the briefing but it wasn’t until Equilius handed her the rosette and subsequently called her over with Enyo that she snapped out of her awe inspired stupor. Adjusting her tricorn in another attempt to at least look dignified she strode over to the Inquisitor (though she couldn’t help but get in one last glance back at the armoured giants as she walked away). “What would that be, Inquisitor? What could there possibly be that you would need to provide beyond the assistance of the God-Emperor’s esteemed Adeptus Astartes for this endeavour?” Deep down she felt a slight stab of anxiety. Was this truly the case that they required something more than that? She hoped she was wrong and that this was something more benign. A token of personal gratitude, perhaps, or something that had a more circumstancial use that they might not even need... one can only hope.

A Time of Fellowship
As Aurelia finished her prayers and meditiations, her attention drifted over towards the side of the chapel where some fellow residents of the ship were seeking succor. When she noticed to whom they went, all of the calm and peace she had felt through her long period of prayer was quickly replaced with awe. Before her stood none other than Cardinal Ropierre himself, garbed in his humble and unassuming attire. To think that the spiritual leader of the entire crusade was taking his time to shepherd the crew of the ship was remarkable indeed. Men in his position were understandably busy with administration and guiding the leadership through this trying period. To think on top of all of that he took time to guide the lowest of the Emperor's servants spoke volumes of Ropierre and the endless amount of effort he put into his work.

It wasn't until the Cardinal called out to Aurelia that she realized she had simply been staring at him the entire time, stepping over quickly, she fell to one knee as she formed the Aquila over her chest, bowing her head low before him. "You humble me with your attention revered Cardinal, I would be honored to have one such as you beseech the Emperor for His protection and guidance." Settling onto her knees in the typical style she prayed, she patiently awaited the Cardinal to begin.

"It is my privilege to bear such a burden in the Emperor's name, but I know a mortal such as myself cannot stand before the Great Enemy without the Emperor's strength."

Stalwart Soldier
Hearing that the one responsible for her husbands injuries was cut down brought a small amount of comfort to her heart, but rage still filled her regardless. Hopefully the next mission would be soon. She needed to deliver death to a few heretics in order to be rid of it.

Putting aside the burning desire for blood, she instead focused on her beloved husband, getting lost in his bright smile that never seemed to fade. A giggling laugh escaped her as he made a joke, something that likely sounded uncharacteristic of the typically stern faced Crusader. Only Enyo had ever been able to make her giggle and laugh in such a way, was the only person who made her feel more than just a Crusader.

"Hmm, a fine weapon you are indeed love, but I'd been hoping for another master-crafted power flail." The platinum blonde haired crusader couldn't help but laugh as she said it, knowing that she would have traded the entire armory of her orders sacred armaments in order to be with her Enyo.

The laughter stopped abruptly as her husband took on a more serious tone, as she became very aware of his hand on her abdomen. He didn't even need to speak another word for her to know what he wanted to say. The thought had occurred to her more than once since their marriage. To know her husband wanted the same thing, to see the excitement and joy in his eyes as he spoke caused tears to well up in her own eyes. Placing a lingering kiss on his lips to answer him. "Before I had found you I had saw no other purpose in my life other than bringing death to the enemies of our Emperor. But now..." She tried to wipe away the tears from her own eyes now, embarrassed that she was acting like some wide-eyed girl from an agri-world.

When did she get here?
While Aurelia knew that she had come at an unusual hour, the fact that she was greeted by a bolt pistol was rather unexpected. Not that it concerned her however, knowing that Equilius wouldn't recruit someone foolish enough to harm another of his retinue. "Were you expecting someone else?" The Crusader asked as a smirked played on the corners of her mouth.

"And you would be correct my lady, I have the honor of being bound beneath the sight of the God-Emperor to Enyo. You'd be hard pressed to find a more dutiful soldier than he." Aurelia stated with no small amount of pride in her voice.

As she entered the quarters, Aurelia looked about. It was sparsely furnished, leaving Aurelia to think she had either only recently obtained these quarters, or she was a minimalist. What did stand out to her was the Medallion Crimson. It was a rare thing indeed to find someone who had the award, namely because those who earned it were dead. "A hard earned honor indeed." Aurelia stated as she gestured to the medal. "Not many who do earn are still about to tell their tale. What is yours?"

The Cool Kids' Table
Auerlia gave a strange look to the young guardsman known as Allen as he gave one of the most awkward bows she had ever seen. And the way he spoke of her husband was less than pleasing, but the crusader decided to bite her tongue, assuming it was the strange was the Guard showed friendship and camaraderie. Men...

"You know I ask myself the very same thing quite often Allen." From the way she stated it, it was rather obvious she meant it as a compliment as opposed to Allen. His friend seemed to be a tad more proper and well put together.

"It is a pleasure to meet both of you. And please Mr. Walker, it is always an honor to dine with members of the Emperor's Hammer. After all, we are all but servants to Him on Terra."

As soon as the two began to recount their battle on Kommitzar Aurelia grew quiet, paying close attention to every detail. To hear so many Guardsmen had to give their lives to bring that prison world back into the fold was sad indeed. Unfortunately the Guard often had to pay for victory with the blood of the loyal. It was necessary, but nonetheless difficult.

"The loss of so many can be difficult to bear, but we can rest easy knowing that they now rest in the arms of the Emperor, and that through their sacrifice we claimed victory." While she was sure both of them were aware of this, it helped to be reminded at times.

When they began to speak of Terra itself, Aurelia dropped her utensils and leaned forward slightly in her seat. To think they had the privilege to be from the heart of the Imperium, to have seen places such as the Lion's Port. Truly they were blessed indeed.

"What I wouldn't give to even see Terra from orbit." Aurelia said dreamily, staring into the ceiling as she day dreamed of walking through the many temples that covered the planet. It came as no surprise to her to hear how heavily guarded the planet was. Nothing save for the Emperor himself was more sacred, held more meaning to the Imperium after all. It would never fall so long as a single human still drew breath.

Hearing her husband say how some regarded the planet as little more than another hive city caused her to gasp in shock before promptly smacking him upside the head. "Dear husband, bite your tongue! Any who say such things do not understand the sacredness of that holy planet." Aurelia stated with conviction, shocked that anyone could ever say such things.

As the group finished their meals, Allen and Walker seemed eager to leave, the sight of an Ogryn tribe making them lose their appetite. Aurelia herself often had mixed feelings on abhumans, but Ogryn were another tale. Their childlike faith was admirable, and their love for the Emperor deep. They were simple, but worthy of her respect.

"We welcome fellow children of the Emperor to join us." The crusader said with a soft smile before taking a final bite of her food. Even as she finished her husband began to sing a tune that she had grown quite familiar with over her time with him. Without hesitation she grabbed her utensils, following along with the beat as her voice harmonized with her husbands. There was nothing like a song to bring servants of the Emperor together after all.

With a nod, goreparan went inside and laid down on the surgery slab. With a deep breath, he allowed the other apothecary to start. Goreparan calmly endured the pain of the scalpel cutting into his flesh and trough his black carapace. He worked with the apothecary by proving how he felt and his condition. Only when it was time to implement the heart did the minotaur finally agreed to be put under.

After the surgery was done the minotaur got off the surgery slab a bit disoriented. When he was getting back into his armor goreparan noticed the burrowed plasma pistol. While he wanted to return it back himself he needed rest. Goreparan slowly walked outside to let his body get accustomed to the transplant and once outside tasked the two new bloods with returning the plasma pistol after explaining what they should tell the armory master before heading to his quarters to rest.

Briefings and Congratulations

Although goreparan sat still like a stone his face clam under his helmet throughout the meeting his mind was constantly evaluating and processing both the words said and the actions of the others. Hearing that he would be going to a quarantined ship above a quarantined plant, dozens of heretical experiments and worst crossed his mind for he did not doubt that the plant and the ship held secrets the ad mech did not want them to know.

Goreparan considered that the admech was asking them for help before concluding that the secrets aboard the ship were within the range the ad mech could afford to let loose but he doubted the planet would be so easy. His long experience dealing with the holy ordos made him smell backroom intrigue, no doubt this mission came about from some back-room deal. Dealing with a problem with inquisitional forces meant that the ad mech could mitigate the fallout from the break out on the ships between themselves by blaming the outside forces while the inquisition could use this to find leverage and garner further support.

Goreparan thought about how it was the black templar that had been sent to the forge world. From this he inferred that the planet and the ship held research and experiments that would be extremely objectional to the religious parts of the force, this was further supported when he remembered that the two humans assigned to the forge world were also religious sisters of battle. Further contemplating was interrupted when goreparan had to receive the honor markings. Despite what the lord inquisitor said it didn’t matter to the minotaur for he knew that the same markings could be used to dam him while this so-called honor was only useful while the lord inquisitor was in power.

Seeing that jean had beaten him to asking questions about the ship goreparan remained quiet and stood nearby to listen. The minotaur was not completely idle as he turned his mind towards ship fighting and bemoaned that terminator armor would probably not be allowed. Even if it were allowed the minotaur reminded himself that a suit to fit his massive frame was probably not in the ship armor unless they had finished making a one to suit him. Regardless of the suit, the minotaur knew what gear he should requisition from the armory.

Once the questions were answered Goreparan would follow jean into the armory.

Goreparan immediately went to the forge master and put in an order for the gear. Even if this ships armory did not have the minotaur gear with his seal and the upcoming mission the armory master should have little trouble procuring it from the minotaur ships.

The minotaur ordered the following war gear before heading over to jean and Razeal

“Affirmative on the stealth, Ad mech research ships like this are built with sophisticated containment and security measures. They will also contain high numbers of automated turrets and most likely heavily armed and armored servitor patrols.

Seizing and breaching should be delegated to the breaching team. Bypassing blocks will depend on the configuration of the ship and our paths. The flanking team will not have the defense to size any key locations. The most optimal solution is to have them focus on mobility, scouting, and firepower for hammer and anvil tactics.

Heavy resistance or key locations they found will be forwarded to us and while we take them or attract what forces we can the flanking team can use their firepower to either attack such locations or double back on us and clear out enemies faster.

Armor piercing ammunition or weaponry would increase mission success, as would melta guns for the flanking team to help punch through blockages without wasting explosives. I will bring a plasma gun, a storm shield and auspex to help the breaching team not be blind. Blocked passages can be brute forced by our plasma and strength, it will be slow but that is the intention.

I do not advise them to sabotage the ship nor clear obstacles unless necessary. Remember as much as we are trying to get in, there are hostiles trying to get out. Too much damage or opening of blocked paths will let the contained get behind us and I doubt I needed to say more. We need to reclaim the ship, not lose it further.

Any personal we find should be put under suspect and unless they are high ranking members terminated. They may be infected for all we know. If termination is not agreeable then at the very least they should be used as expendable scouts and forces. Failure to comply should be dealt with by means of de armament and either knocking them out, forcefully using them as meat shields or execution. Unless we know what we are dealing with we cannot be careless”

@Uriel1339
Razaels bare face displayed his mild amusement at Enyo's reaction. Others of his chapter had a reputation for their cold behaviour towards outsiders, extremely so, but he himself had found a more amicable approach to be far more effective in hiding what must not be known, and dealing with those that did know. A relationship was but a tool to fulfill his mission.
Nonetheless, the different reactions humans had when confronting him were interesting.
And with experience, could tell one a lot about his counterpart.
"At ease Lieteunant, our meeting is nothing but a coincidence." He examined the man standing before him. Truly, he could see nothing extraordinary about this Ultramar Auxiliary, nothing that would qualify him to be part of an inquisitorial retinue at least. Not that that meant much. It just meant that he most likely possessed other qualities.Interesting. I wonder what swayed the boy to employ someone like this...
He could smell a wound, the smell of dried blood and disinfectant.That eyepeatch...maybe....
"Well I might as well use this opportunity now that it was given to me. I am Razael, Sergeant of the Dark Angels, as you so accurately determined. Currently serving a Deathwatch-Sigil in the Lord Inquisitors retinue. Although," he raised his right arm as if to point out the black colour of his armour, "you would have probably guessed as much."
His revealed face stiffened again, turning back to the familiar serious face an astartes should normally bear, only a glint of amusement remaining in his eyes.
"It seems you have done well to survive your first assignment. I look forward to your further performance."
Mortals were so fleeting. That was one thing he had learned, over his long periods of solitary work, far from his brothers. But sometimes, exactly because they died so easily, their actions were all the more impressive, amazing even.
He should watch the children's retinue more closely.

@WanderingJester
As he kneeled in his personal quarters, he reminisced about the information he had gathered about the Unforgiven's current state. While meditating, he could feel the stir within him, hidden deep inside. What was going on? Why hadn't he been recalled as well? Were the fallen gathering? Was that why the Supreme Grand Master had gathered the Unforgiven? For a great Purge? And what was this Hostile Priority Target #1?
All these thoughts, he let them boil over, rise to the surface, until he could almost feel them on his skin.CRACK!
With inhuman speed, the ritual whip in his hand mutilated his back, cleansing his soul.CRACK!
All the doubts, all the questions ringing in his mind, subsided by this single sound.CRACK!
Nothing was important. Only the duty to humanity, to the chapter, to the Lion and his Emperor .CRACK!
The pain was but an instrument. His soul was crying for retribution; REDEMPTION.CRACK!
He had been given a mission. His sole purpose was to fulfill it.CRACK!
...
CRACK!

While he was in the process of the ritual, he could hear a message arriving for him. Naturally, he did not interrupt it. That would have been Unthinkable.
Butr after he was done, his mind and soul properly cleansed, he touched the blinking console. This time, the question that came to his mind wasn't something he had to cleanse himself for.What could it be? Too big to fit to my quarters? Is it a Land Speeder or something?
He allowed himself to chuckle at the thought of a Land Speeder, complete with gift wrapping and the words "For Razael" on it, just sitting in a box of an Imperial Hangar.Well, that I can find out.
After having donned his freshly cleaned Scout Armour, he made his way to this Hangar. Gamma 3 Phadia 6.

Briefings and Congratulations
After a brief respite the retinue members of the Inquisitors were soon called back to be briefed on their next mission. Already outfitted in her carapce armor, weapons at the ready and tabard cleaned of the excessive amount of blood it had been soaked in, Aurelia made her way alongside Enyo to the briefing room. It didn't escape her attention that there were some members missing from the meeting. Perhaps they hadn't performed up to the standards that the Inquisition expected?

That was more or less confirmed by the Lord Inquisitor as he spoke before turning over the briefing to the Archmagos. Aurelia always felt uncomfortable at best around members of the Machine Cult. Their worship of the Omnissiah was unsettling at best, and her time in the Inquisition had made her only more suspicious of their 'faith'. Aside from that, their strange way of speech, the lack of flesh and emotions made them almost alien to her. Still, they were the Emperor's servants, and Aurelia would serve them with the same amount of conviction and sense of duty as always.

As Aurelia listened to the strange speech of the Archmagos, a deep frown set in the crusaders face. To say the situation was dire would be a true understatement, as the entire world was at the cusp of eternal damnation. If they didn't act quickly and with precision the entire world could be lost to them. As if to make matters worse, the Phaenonite's were involved as well. Aurelia had encountered them only once while serving under Equilius, and it was certainly one of the more harrowing experiences of her life. Simply put, wherever they tread, hell and death followed en mass. It would be no simple task routing out such heresy, but it was a task she was well suited towards nonetheless.

It seemed the Inquisitor's thought so as well as she, her husband and a handful of other were chosen to accompany the Magos in executing the entire ruling class of the planet. A hint of pride swirled within her chest at the honor.

As the briefing seemed to be wrapping up, the retinue members were separated into three groups, the mortals being addressed by Equilius and Winsole. Once alone, the small group was each handed a small item. Aurelia stared at it for a moment, not quite believing at first what she was seeing. An Inquisitorial Rosette, given to only the most trusted agents of the Inquisition. Aurelia had often dreamed of this moment, but never had she imagined it to happen so suddenly. "By the Throne." Was all she managed to say as she stared at the small item that held such immense power. She was now truly a member of the Ordos, an agent of the Golden Throne. The crusader desperately blinked away the tears forming in her eyes as she achieved what she had dreamt of for so long.

Naturally the Inquisitor's explained the importance of such symbols and that they were not to be shown off and used needlessly. They were powerful tools, but they required a discreet and delicate hand to be used effectively. That was something that Equilius had taught her well, his easy going, charming demeanor often allowing him to accomplish what even his Inquisitorial status might not.

"I swear to you and the God Emperor that I shall be worthy of this honor Inquisitors. None shall find me wanting."

With that finished, Equilius called for Abel and Enyo to come over, gesturing for Aurelia to join as well. Without hesitation she made her way over, waiting to see what it was he had for the two.

A Radical Problem
Once Equilius had finished speaking to her husband and Abel, she stayed behind a moment to speak to him directly. "Inquisitor Equilius, a word if I may? You made mentions of the Phaenonite's, and their presence on the world. Have we any further information on them, where their base of operations is? Will they ll be in attendance at this meeting?" The concern in Aurelia's voice was evident, knowing how great a threat this group could pose.

"If but a single one of them is left unaccounted for, then corruption will assuredly seep back into it's heart. I wish to ensure that doesn't happen by personally crushing their skulls."

It was indeed a great honor to be allowed to see a face of a Chaplain, no matter his heritage. Wilhelm was a proud Templar but he also had a certain respect for the members of the Reclusiam, after all they were those who had to fight for the spirit of the Chapter the most and that battle was never an easy one.

"To my Black Templars I am Castellan Wilhelm of the High Marshal Helbrecht's Household, Fighting Company Wilhelm. To my enemies I am Sword of Ruin. To you cousin, I am enternally grateful for taking time to speak to me at my hour of need. Your words carry some weight but that part is over. What is left is for us to share a battlefield and see the skill with which each of us does war. After enough blood has been spilt then, and only then, shall we become true brothers."

<Briefing>

Wilhelm arrived at the briefing with his armor restored, the helmet repaired and encircled with a golden halo. Tabard was cleaned from the stale blood and dirt, the Black Cross once again proudly displayed for everyone to see. Instead of his crusader blade the Castellan hefted a mighty thunder hammer, the weapon looking big despite Templar's powerful physique.

There was no showing of emotions as the Wolf King made his appearance on the pict screen, however Wilhelm raised an eyebrow beneath this helmet, apparently these were indeed the End Times if the Primarchs were once again showing their face. Like a true son of Dorn, the moment a slimer of hope tried to intrude his thoughts he crushed it, ignoring the possibilty. He hoped for nothing except for the God-Emperor to provide him with enough enemies to crush and from what the Inquisitor had said, this prayer would be answered indeed.

He said nothing as he heard being assigned to a different team than the rest of the Astartes. It would seem that Equilus spoke with Vindex and that the old Inquisitor was privy to the words Wilhelm said after the siege of Death Mountain. Perhaps some his kinsmen would see the demotion from leading a squad into acting like a glorified bodyguard to a bunch of mortals as an insult, but the Castellan was actaully glad for it. He would get a chance to remember who was he duty-bound to protect and he would also have the opportunity of striking directly at the head of heretic's presence on the planet below, instead of dealing with the chaff.

(@Uriel1339 )"It would seem that I'll get the opportunity of seeing you fight in person, Lieutenant Enyo," Black Templar told the officer as the teams began to form up, "Perhaps you will be able to change my mind when it comes to the usefulness of PDF forces across the galaxy."

He said nothing else, by that time Enyo knew that Wilhelm had no ill intent towards him, the Astartes simply spoke what was on his mind without any embellishments.

Vindex also called him and the rest of the Marines and much to Wilhelm's surprise, handed them honor markings with his own seal. It was a small token, but its effects could be quite far-reaching. Very important for the Castellan as his mission depended on it. "The honor is mine Inquisitor. You have my word that I, and any Black Templars we might or might not come across in this Emperor-forsaken system, will stay with this crusade until the task is done or we are slain."

"Mhhhh... The fact I serve not only half the galaxy away from my home, but as a member of the Inquisition is as eventful as it gets." He shrugged and scratched his head. "There were some more notable deployments over others. But most of the time I was stationed on my homeworld of Artemis II." Enyo shrugged again, unsure what to refer to in particular.

"To be honest, most I know from my old regiment and those I met during my time in the Progenium are dead by now, considering how severe the casualties are from the Plague Wars." Another shrug. "Also I never can judge the age of notable officers such as the inquisitors and yourself potentially. With all the rejuvenation treatments available these days one can talk to a person who appears to be in the early 30s but indeed is tenfold that age."

The commissar had enough experience in interrogation and knowledge of how the Imperium works to know that definitely important aspects were left out. One would not take a random backwater-worlder into the retinue of an Inquisition. And a Lieutenant without a notable deployment? There might be quite more to the one-eyed soldier from Ultramar than he wishes to let it show.

Enyo smiled brightly and could not help a soft giggle when Aurelia made a comment in regard of rather having a flail than him having arrived. He placed a hand on her cheek, putting the hair back behind her ear and wiping another tear away. There was a long moment of silence between the two, until Enyo broke it. "We should talk to Equilius about this at some point."

And he left it at that. Whatever would become of them, would be. To some degree he hoped they could settle on Artemis. But he knew better than that and might rather consider something closer to Terra if possible. Shrine Worlds tend to be rather secure as they stored many holy artifacts, and Aurelia would approve more likely than a backwater world with far too uneducated individuals. It only caused him to squeeze her tighter with whatever energy left within his tired limbs.

Enyo relaxed and let out only the softest of sighs when the Dark Angel commanded to be at ease. "It was somewhat of a promise to Lord Castellan Wilhelm." He said with a proud smile on the semi-compliment of having survived so far. But then Enyo shrugged. "Simply doing the Emperor's will, sire. And waste not your time with a simple life such as mine. You have achieved greater deeds in your trials than I in my entire life." The mortal bowed once more before the demigod.

When the entirety of the Inquisition was summoned, it was maybe to some individuals surprise to see Enyo not wearing an eyepatch, but instead having a clearly visible bionic eye as if he was a copy of Sebastian Yarrick. After all, both Enyo and the venerated imperial hero had the implant on their left eyes. If one was detail-oriented, one could easily recognize the Adeptus Mechanicus iconography of Agrippina on it's side. It was a meaning two-fold. One, for the very fact that Tiberiax Zeth had a hand in the device. Two, for the relationship that Enyo has established with the elements of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Sarah Angol, Marius and Tiberiax. He cherished them as comrades-in-arms as well as personal friends. Each of them had given a bit of themselves to protect him or ensure victory back on Komitzar in a way or another.

The operation was swift and as far as he knows, the only one who knew him personally that oversaw was Tiberiax himself. He had arranged it in secret from all the others. Not out of embarrassment, but maybe as a pleasant surprise to his comrades. It had red lenses in the same tint as an Ultramarines helmet.

He remained quiet throughout the entire briefing and brief ceremony of Inquisitor Equilius who handed the symbol of the Inquisition to him. He accepted it, but not gladly. In fact he held it in both hands and stared at it for a good while. Then over to Winsole. Remembering about what she said, what she talked about. Then he looked back at Equilius and gulped.

"I... I am honored, Inquisitor Equilius." His thumbs rubbed over the symbol, feeling it's every edge. "But..." He offered it back to the Inquisitor. "I cannot accept it. I am not ready to devote my life to the Holy Ordo. Neither do I believe to be fit. We both know..." Enyo's eyes went over to Aurelia and a smile on his lips before turning back to the Inquisitor. "I am here due to my relationship with Crusader Virtus and her insistence as well as your kindness to allow her request. It is not I who is Inquisitor material. But her. To put it bluntly. I am a middle-class man. No highborn, no noble descendance, not even finished my Schola Progenium unlike Lady Commissar Abel." He inclined his head towards said commissar.

"I am just a soldier, sire. I hope I do not offend you. And if I did. Please allow me to repent in whichever way you see fit." Lieutenant Virtus would not kneel, but the man from Segmentum Ultima bowed. What he wondered about deeper inside is if Aurelia would disagree. She seemed not only enthusiastic but elevated. He smiled widely, proud of his wife's achievements.

With the explanations completely absorbed and Wilhelm addressing the Lieutenant he gave a prompt salute. "I shall do my best to not disappoint the God-Emperor, my better half and you, Castellan Wilhelm. I do not expect to change your world view, but I do expect to hear of yet another one of your past crusades." Clearly he was referring about the events that Wilhelm told Enyo about his participation in the crusade of Armageddon before the briefing. It was equally enlightening as it was honorable to hear such tale from a firsthand participant.

Later on when Zeth, outside of the briefing room gathered the group, he gestured towards Wilhelm before the others. "Aurelia, Marius and Magos Zeth. This is Castellan Wilhelm of the Black Templar. Castellan. These are Crusader Aurelia Virtus. Skitarii Beta-055-Alpha-R00 also known as Marius and Magos Tiberiax Zeth of Agrippina." Enyo introduced the strangers to one another, ensuring once again cohesion at it's finest. Like he explained before to the Templar of Black, it was his particular skill set to commune well with all elements of the Imperium. And beyond that, he remembered Henrik's warnings of the Templars personality in regard to grinding their foes down at any cost. Without being complete certainty whether it was a bias or part of Wilhelms personality, he wanted to make sure there was some basis they could build their trust upon.

It was rare when the Adeptus Mechanicus, Crusader Houses, Angels of Death and Astra Militarum had to act together in such a tightly knit group. The slightest indifference could cause victory or defeat. The Lieutenant would not let any such thing happen under his watchful eyes, and the misfitting organics and mechanics shall be living proof of such.

At the sharing of the attempted infiltration of Agripinaa by the Xanithite faction, Archmagos Instaurabo would reply in kind with another past event, one that Magos Tiberiax Zeth likely did not know about. The apparent awareness of the secret war that occurred on Agripinaa by the archmagos brought up the binharic syntax of a trial, apparently within the Inquisition itself. How the archmagos attained this information he did not reveal, but as Zeth analysed the event, it did add new data on another individual in the room.

A much, much younger Vindex stood in what looked to be a mix between a courtroom and an executioner's stand. He had on power armour but not the terminator armour that he clad himself in today. His head full of light brown hair that flowed to his shoulder and he held his head up high. In front of him, the magos catharc could not identify within the memory, but understood that several extremely influential inquisitors seated themselves, along with at least one inquisitor lord.

Looking at these individuals, Vindex spoke, his voice crisp and unworn by time, clear as the fresh water of a paradise world.

"You ask me to present a defence for myself; I hereby give you none. It is true I struck down the faithless traitor Urimaus before I turned my weapons against my now accuser, the pretender of an inquisitor who now makes a mockery of our Holy Ordos. My sole guilt in this matter is that I could not end this heretic's existence before I was brought here.

Yet the other charges: treason, heresy, consorting with xenos, heretics and daemon? You place the very crimes committed by my accuser upon me, yet in the Emperor's name, I shall be venerated! What proof does my accuser have that I have ever been in the presence of our enemies other than to deliver their death? What proof does he have of me diving into forbidden powers, whether they came from the enemies without, our enemies within or the hated enemies beyond?

He has none to present here today, for there are no such events. He brings up circumstances, witnesses to slander my character, my judgment, and my guilt of having circumvented certain traditions here, of having raised my hand against a peer of the Holy Ordos. Well I say let him! I have indeed turned my hand against him, but have no committed any crime to speak of.

This man, this heretic is no peer of mine. None that would wield the powers of the darkness shall ever be one, especially one that would not only suffer the presence of a daemon but actively empowers it through the creation of a daemonhost! If tradition shall stay my blade from such a man, nay, such a fiend's throat, then Emperor damn your traditions and creeds! If you shall not believe my word, simply review exhibit 325698 through 325750 that I had presented here before you today.

However, I came here not to convince you of my innocence, for we must all stand before the Emperor to receive his judgment, nor did I come in order to simply end the vile deception of my accuser, though I shall not object to the attainment of such a goal, along with the extinguishment of his existence. No, I came to declare this: I, Vindex, holder of the inquisitorial rosette and member of the Ordo Malleus, will never, NEVER stop my persecution of the daemon and any that would take its powers for their own.

I will continue my hunt and their destruction will continue, so long as the Emperor gives me breath. If this be disagreeable to you, then you best deliver my soul to the Emperor's side now, for I will never stand quietly to the side while others damn themselves and those around them with the heresy of 'turning the enemy's weapon against him.' Nor will I keep the false peace in the name of unification.

If you now, still believe that I am a traitor, a heretic, a xenos ally, then strike me down, just as I would any of those enemies of the Holy Ordos. I make no excuses for what the Emperor has shown in my heart, nor will I deviate from them. I merely implore you to place my accuser on this very ground for his own trial. For you shall find that he, like his master, lies. They can do nothing else; the daemon knows only lies and deceit, always."​

The memory would end and information of Vindex's complete vindication filled Zeth's processors. His accuser, in turn, suffered the fate that hung over the Ordo Malleus member: excommunication and death, after the truth of the Vindex's words came to light. Whether this was to reassured the Gerontocrat of their ally's steadfastness or to show the sure purpose in the hatred of the heretic on the force remained unknown. One thing was for certain: in this strike force, both the inquisitor lord at its head and the archmagos shared the same amount of tolerance for heresy, none.

Instaurabo made no comment on the memory's deliverance, but continued in his briefing.

++Magos catharc, this Lors Hallon will likely understand the judgment incurred upon him in the nanosecond that he ascertained your true identity, as you shall be going in my own binary and physical identity. Consider into your calculations the variable of possible hostile actions taken by this... Fabricator-General when that happens. The aesthetic armour in addition to this will help mask your identity well enough to even the ruling class, but you must process the variables of interactions on your own, as well as those that will join you in this task.++

As the magos' test assault began, the unknown codes of Divisio Catharc momentarily gave Instaurabo pause, even as his binary and digital defences reconfigured to this new threat. Zeth got so far as to even ascertaining the larger, overall system overwatch of the archmago's systems, and saw that his few scans could see no taint or corruption what so ever within the archmagos, either from the warp or from the degradation of time. Just then, the trap sprung.

Attack codes, locks and counter locks, signal fryers converged on the Novabites and probing codes' location. The sheer volume of each would have astonished even explorator veterans of the war against the galaxy's hereteks, but the most incredible part was that each code, each protocol, each command line had been formed differently, even utilising basic parts from different Divisios of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Novabite managed to kill an impressive number, yet each wave differed from any before it, and even the impressive work from the Divisio Catharc couldn't hold against such a force.

The Archmagos simply tossed the Gerontocrat out of his system like a war veteran tossed a trespassing child from his backyard. Following the protocols passed on to him from countless generations of magi before him, Magos Zeth busied with reconfiguring his own defences when a simple data transferred came in. Analysing it and finding no threat, he would find a report from the archmagos about his attack and how he could improve on it.

++An acceptable attempt, confirming my previous estimations of your capabilities in the confrontation with the arch heretek of Idumea.++

The head of the Adeptus Mechanicus within the strike force stepped back, an both Marius and Zeth knew that the archmagos had said all that he wished to. While he would stay within the briefing room for long, they had the opportunity to inquire of him should they wish to, for now. The skitarii would find no new targets within the kill list from the briefing room, though new information on a heretek group named the Logicians operating within the Calixis Sector, should he wish to study upon them more.

Inquisitor Equilius first turned to Commissar Alexandra Abel before noticing Lieutenant Enyo Virtus' attempt at declining the rosette. Giving a sigh and ignoring Inquisitor Natalia Winsole's frown at the man, the Ordo Hereticus member placed a hand on Enyo's shoulder before giving him a gentle smile.

"Oh, Lieutenant Virtus. I am not raising you to the ranks of an Inquisitor, not yet at the very least. Your life is your own, and indeed, you can always walk away by asking me. You would not be the first acolyte I allowed to do so. There are easier work in the Imperium that can honour the Emperor, but precious few more vital than what we do," Equilius took his hand off of Enyo's shoulder before rubbing his chin as he looked each of them over, before continuing.

"While it might be true that I brought you on as an addition to Crusader Virtus here, I would not have kept you on my retinue if I felt you lacking in resolve or capability," Equilius gave another sigh. "You have been within my retinue for long enough to know I'm a decent judge of character. Our judgment of our own self is always skewed, Lieutenant. That is why the Ordo Hereticus exists, to make such judgment to both the young and the old, the common born and noble born."

Therefore, with an air of finality, Equilius gave another smile, this time to both members of the Virtus family. "Lieutenant Enyo Virtus, if you will not willingly accept your new responsibilities as a throne agent, then, as your master, I shall task you with the assignment of safe keeping this rosette on you at all times. You shall be released from this task when you leave the crusade, should you still hold the same sentiment then," with that, Equilius clapped his hands together, before addressing them as a group once more.

"Now, I'm sure you three are wondering why we called you here. That's because we, that is me, grandpa Vindex and Natty here, wished to set up a personal objective to each of you to continue our evaluations, as well as the Inquisition's more explicit interests. Now to your question, Commissar Abel: Several reasons, the most prominent of which is that the Inquisition can't actually give any orders to the Adeptus Astartes, like nearly all the rest of the Imperium, where as we can give orders to our acolytes and throne agents, like you all."

Pointing back at the schematics of the Mechanicus Crusier behind him, Equilius cheerfully but discreetly said, "your team and its leader's primary objective will be the security of the Harbinger of Knowledge as well as the assistance of her crew. However, your primary objective on the other hand will be to discovered what had really happened on the vessel. The Adeptus Mechanicus is known for hundreds if not thousands of redundancies and failsafes aboard their vessels. For them to all fail is, as they say, a statistical impossibility."

"What he's trying to say, is that we suspect that someone on board released the xenos on purpose for whatever reason. Your job is to verify that theory, either by identifying and capturing the culprit, or find out how exactly the xenos escaped confinement," Winsole said bluntly, while Equilius mockingly looked hurt at being interrupted, before recovering.

"Yes, that's your job this mission. Now, as to our dynamic duo," Equilius turned towards the Virtus. "You two will both have one tasks, though I'm sure you are both able to complete it. There's an unconfirmed report that an old ally of ours, Inquisitor Alfbern of the Ordo Xenos, is somewhere on the surface of Idumea on an investigation. Your task is to ascertain the truth of this matter, to recover as much information on this as possible, and, if possible, make contact with him.

Of course, the tricky part of this is that Idumea will likely be a warzone while you do this, so your unofficial task will be to keep each other alive through it," Equilius concluded happily as Winsole lifted up a data slate and passed it Aurelia to share with Enyo.

"The reason why we must make haste is because much of our fleet is already over Idumea, and we must strike before the forge world's guns turned upon them. The archmagos already has a plan in motion to invade the planet, and we have done our best to provide support for him. However, in the middle of all of that, you will still need to assist the magos in the termination of the ruling class's control of the planet," Winsole pointed out the rough plans to invade the world on the data slate, along with information on the inquisitor.

She then turned to Enyo, before saying, "you best remember that in the Inquisition, lieutenant, you move up or you move out. You will not be allowed to be 'just a soldier' if you wish to remain near your wife, for either both of you shall succeed and be elevated, both fail and suffer the consequences separately, or one exceeds the other and be tasked with more burdens that takes them from the other." The Ordo Malleus member, while using more bluntness than tact, did not hold any particular edge to her voice, merely stating the situation aloud for the pdf officer.

Nevertheless, Equilius' smile thinned slightly, before patting her on the back. "Now now Natty. No need to use the stick so often. They just got their rosette after all." Turning as Aurelia asked her question, the Ordo Hereticus member replied, "great question. At this point, they have so many bases of operations on Idumea, it's a miracle we're not declaring exterminatus over it. Undoubtedly they shall attend the meeting, though how would be a better question.

That shall be the second complication to your task: you may possibly meet other inquisitional forces or even another inquisitor down on Idumea, either of the enemy or those still loyal to the Holy Ordos investigating them. We've blocked off all transit off world under the cover of security for resupply and the upcoming meeting, so if there are loyalists plane side, they'll likely be as trapped as the traitors. You will both need to decide on how to interact with them.

Officially, I must warn you that those of the latter camp do hold authority over you as full inquisitors, and those of the former camp will disguise themselves as the latter," Equilius looked around conspiratorially, while Winsole rolled her eyes before saying.

"Unofficially, if you have any doubt on the inquisitor you're meeting, I would suggest you shoot them first and deal with the consequences after," she stated before looking over the rest of the mortals in the retinue. "Any questions?"

Cardinal Ropierre smiled gently, as a grandfather might, before giving a slight bow to Aurelia Virtus. "Ah, my child, I am but another servant of the Golden Throne. While our duties are different, we are both humbled before the presence of the Emperor and his majesty," he said. "No, without the Emperor, we are nothing, but praise be to the One on Terra, we are not alone in the face of even the darkest evils, for his light guides us in the way of the righteous.

Come, let us enjoy his protection and light together." With that, the Ecclesiarchy Priest placed a hand on Aurelia's head, while lifting his other hand in the direction of the Emperor's statue, and began praying in high gothic.

"Lo Emperor! The Holy Protector of Man! The Undying One on Terra! Hear the cries of thy people. By blood and right thou conquered the galaxy and left it to thy descendants. By blood and right we have fought the last ten thousand years to preserve thy kingdom. I beg thee: grant us the strength to fight on for another day. I gather here with thy daughter. Though she not be one of thou servants within the Adeptus Sororitas, she has dedicated no less for the preservation of thy glory

Grant her thy strength, O Emperor, that she might smite thy foes! Grant her thy swiftness, that her feet may deliver swift retribution to the enemies of man! Grant her thy courage, that she may stand steadfast in the sight of daemons and fallen angels alike! Grant her thy flames, that she may bring light and cleansing to even the darkest corners of your realm!" As the cardinal prayed over her, in a voice that barely carried out beyond the two of them, Aurelia could tell that Cardinal Ropierre was like no other Ecclesiarchial priest she had ever met.

The Crusader could literally feel the purity of his faith, radiating out from the man. Like the rays of a gentle sun, it washed over her, granting her a sense of comfort, of safety, of home. Yet instinctually, she also knew of its deadly effect upon those unclean in the soul: the same light that welcomed her into its warmth would incinerate the daemon and its ilk had any been present. It was as though she had just arrived home. The front door opened and she, battered, dirtied and tired, found herself enveloped by the arms of a loving father.

Yet, nothing had changed. The Cardinal, with his hand on her head, concluded his prayers. "By the Power of the Emperor, the light of Saint Celestine, the courage of Saint Katherine, and the Authority of the Eccelesiarch, I bless thee my child. May he who is on Terra walk with you, even into the mouth of hell itself, for I know he shall deliver you from whatever trial that the enemy brings to you, should your faith not waiver." Here, the older man lowered his hand and grasped one of Aurelia's with both of his, before bending over to give it a chaste kiss.

"Go in peace my child. Always remember that the Emperor protects." With that, the cardinal gave her a warm smile, distinctly different from the cheerful one of Inquisitor Equilius, before turning to the altar of the Emperor, beginning to flip through the massive book of creeds in the stand in front of it.

Allen more or less shrugged at Aurelia's comments, while Walker nodded back to the Crusader. "No worries ma'am. It's what the Guard does best: we die standing for the Emperor, but the Eye be damned not a single one of those bastards will get past us," he replied proudly. "Aye you'll be right about that, Lieutenant. Terra will never fall, not before every last one of us in the Guard are dead, and then you'll have to deal with the astartes. Makes me almost feel bad for the poor bastards. Almost."

As the Ogryns came over, Allen air gagged, and even Walker frowned. The smelly but loyal abhumans didn't seem to notice though, as a smile wide enough to swallow a termagant spread across the bone'ead's face. "Thankee, sir! Thankee, sir's pretty lady!" The two clumsily sat down, spilling their food over their large bowl's rims, though thankfully not on anything but the table. As they began to eat, Enyo and Aurelia could see the frictions between the guardsmen and even other abhumans began to grind against the newly arriving Ogryn Tribe.

Most of the offences seemed to be the Ogryn's smell and their clumsiness, having spilled food on others accidentally. However, before any conflict could erupt into open fights, Enyo began pounding on his tray and singing, joined quickly by Aurelia. The bone'ead and his squad mate both joined in without hesitation, singing horribly off tone with their mouths full. While they seemed more disgusted by their new table mates, Walker and Allen both added their voice in, tapping on their own trays.

The singing became infectious, as the tables next to theirs joined in the commonly known tones. Conflicts simmered down as the singing spread around the cafeteria. Some produced instruments out of nowhere, and began conducting a tone to the familiar rhythm. So those that would have buried their fists in each other's faces and their hands into each other's pockets began singing arm in arm, smiles of shared hatred for the foes of the Imperium and pride in the Imperial Guard replaced grimaces of strangers.

So the meal would conclude much better than it had started, and while not all conflict died away after the singing ended (which took a while, given the tendency of soldiers to begin another song after the original ended, and soon no one could remember who started singing first). The spirit of camaraderie and morale high. Just outside one of the exits, a man who had been leaning on the wall just beyond the doorway chuckled under his wide brimmed hat, before getting up and walking away.

Apothecary Goreparan Minkar would find no complications with his surgery and recovery. While the Minotaurs aren't the friendliest lot, even to their own members, they were professionals. The apothecary finished with nary a word, focused on his work and on the body of his brother. Once done, the apothecary excused himself, citing more work requiring his attention, and left. The new bloods, likewise, merely gave Goreparan the traditional greeting before they too departed on the assignment entrusted to them, plasma pistol in hand.

He would likewise have no trouble from the Iron Father, who, outside of grunts and curt replies, seemed content to ignore most of the retinue now that they had full access to the armoury. The Iron Hand focused on his own work, which happened to be a Corvus Blackstar. Getting what he wanted, the Minotaur would have no cause in troubling the Gollen more than he needed to.

Deathwatch Kill-Marine Razael would arrive at Hanger Gamma 3 Phadia 6 in his scout armour, drawing the gaze of deckhands and other mortals, though none would stare for too long before getting back to their work, though a few had trouble stopping themselves from looking back at him. Inquiring of a servitor that seemed to be assigned to the hanger, the Dark Angel would find himself in front of a large, metal container, not unlike the ones used by the Imperial Guard for transporting anything from rations to guardsmen.

Yet, something about this particular container seemed different. Upon closer inspection, the container actually had enough armour and protection to withstand even a direct hit by a demolisher cannon. Rectangular and without any marking, Razael might have been excused had he thought that this might have been delivered to the wrong space marine. Reaching a small screen of a console in front of him on the side of the seemingly doorless container, he would activate it and, in doing so, a hole would appeared on the side of the container.

A lone servo skull flew out. Spotting him, it came over, before doing a bio scan to verify his identity. When it completed its task, a loud unlatching noise came from the container, before a hiss sounded and the sealed package's side unlatched, and the wall in front of Razael opened. As the ceiling lights flickered on in the interior of the storage unit, the first sight that would greet him would be the twin barrels of a tarantula sentry gun, heavily bolters locked and loaded for bear. Fortunately, the sentry gun's machine spirit slept.

Second thing that greeted him were the two sets of armour at the back of the storage, behind the turret. Familiar like two brothers, they stood silent, awaiting their owner's return. One was the dark green power armour, clad in iconography of the First Legion. The other had the bone white paint and iconography of the First Company of the Dark Angels. All along the walls, on either side, weapons and equipment lined racks. Each had been in contact with Razael in some way, with most of them having been used by him at one point or another in the past.

Beside the two sides of the armour, maintenance servitors activated. Each greeted Razael with similar, "Welcome, Brother Razael of the Dark Angels. We shall now commence equipment inspection. Please let us know how we may assist you." The two began their work, letting Razael go through the racks and his old armour suits at his leisure. Next to the dormant turret, a data slate hung, its bright blue screen catching the eye. Picking it up, Razael would read a simple message over the icon of the Dark Angels in the background.

Brother Razael,
We're dispatching a hunter group to your section of the galaxy, be on the lookout. Stay alive until you can rendezvous with them.
Grandmaster Belial
Of course, the data slate immediately erased itself after the message was read. Unfortunately, the terminator armour required some work before it could be operational, but the power armour, used by the Dark Angel Kill Marine in the past, was fully operational. Along the walls, not just weapons, but equipment had been included, possible useful tools from the Rock herself.

Chaplain Arescropus gave a slight but respected bow to the Black Templar Castellan Wilhelm. "Wise words, Cousin Castellan. We shall soon spill the heretic's guts from his sides, then we may use their skulls to drink to brotherhood together. Until then, hail, Wilhelm of the Black Templars. I, Arescropus of the Excoriator Reclusiam, salutes you." With that, the chaplain headed towards the statue of Dorn, no doubt beginning his own devotionals.

Had Wilhelm decided to stay and watch, he would see the chaplain produce a knife, decorated by the iconography of Excoriators. Arescropus would chant an almost muted prayer, as he drew the weapon down a precise line on his neck, letting red blood flow as he meditated.

Vindex gave a respectful nod to both Jean and Wilhelm, for the thanks of the first and the oath of the second. "I know of the loyalty and faith of the Black Templars, and a bit of the woes of the Raptors. You shall both find yourselves welcomed with those of mine, though you may find that my enemies may very well become yours also." Half a thank you, half a warning. Typical of veteran inquisitors, let alone an inquisitor lord. "Nonetheless, I wish nothing but the Emperor's blessing and protection upon all of your chapters."

"Agree in essence, Brother Goreparan. Some points of clarification follow.

Firstly: Sabotage only as and where necessary. It may be that we will need to permanently disable and close off certain sections of the ship to contain an enemy we cannot otherwise overcome. Likewise, in an extremis situation, we may need to scuttle the ship with no view to extraction. Other than that, I agree with a minimal footprint. No negligent or gratuitous damage.

Secondly: Prisoner control is a prime concern. We must assume the worst and adopt Genestealer infestation protocols until we better understand the threat. All onboard are suspect until vetted. Yet, executing every prisoner is not viable, nor can we afford the time or manpower to ferry every single one to the brig for quarantine.

Conclusion: Far as doctrine goes, here is my suggestion. We prioritise surprise, speed and precision in our initial assault. Seize control of the secondary bridge and enginarium within initial five minutes post-entry. Isolate the primary bridge from the control network, lockdown and cut power to all areas not under our direct control. From there, we clear the ship from stern to prow, bilge to top deck, vetting any and all crew we encounter along the way, and keeping them isolated to the sections we find them in. Are we agreed?"